Studium do kompozycji ‘Wiara, nadzieja i miłość’ 1850 - 1857

Józef Simmler made this watercolor study for ‘Faith, Hope, and Charity.’ The composition is arranged with three female figures dominating the picture plane, each embodying a virtue. Notice how Simmler used the classical form and structure with a washed palette. The formal arrangement of figures—Faith standing centrally with her cross, Hope anchored on the right with her gaze forward, and Charity embracing children on the left—establishes a visual hierarchy. The composition is a semiotic system. Note how each element, from the laurel wreath adorning Faith to the anchor symbolizing Hope, functions as a sign, embedding layers of meaning within the work's visual structure. The gentle gradations of color and light are more than aesthetic choices. The formal qualities of this study invite ongoing interpretation, a hallmark of art that destabilizes fixed meanings.